The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

WikiLeaks suspends publishing

Julian Assange says that the organisation will focus on fighting a financial blockade.

By George Eaton Published 24 October 2011 17:52

Short of funds and the victim of a financial blockade, WikiLeaks is to suspend publishing operations. Announcing the decision at a press conference at the Frontline Club earlier today, Julian Assange said that the site planned to focus on raising new funds. He revealed that "an arbitrary and unlawful financial blockade" by the Bank of America, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and Western Union had destroyed 95 per cent of WikiLeaks' revenues. He added that if it was not lifted by the new year the organisation would "simply not be able to continue". Donations to the site were running at €100,000 a month in 2010, but had dropped to a monthly figure of €6,000 to €7,000 this year.

In a statement, WikiLeaks said:

The blockade is outside of any accountable, public process. It is without democratic oversight or transparency.

The US government itself found that there were no lawful grounds to add WikiLeaks to a US financial blockade. But the blockade of WikiLeaks by politicised US finance companies continues regardless.

Earlier this year, Assange appeared at a New Statesman/Frontline Club debate on whistleblowing. You can watch his speech in full here.

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Tags: wikileaks

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6 comments

Tue, 2011-10-25 08:23 — Gideon Polya

What a disgrace that US corporations that are part of the evil, genocidal US Establishment - the 1% versus the 99% - have apparently succeeded in silencing Wikileaks and stopping the truth leaking out.

Decent people around the world should respond in kind by applying sanctions and boycotts against all corporations and countries (notably the US and Sweden) complicit in this attack on Humanity and truth.

The most obvious thing decent people can do is to boycott the antithesis of Wikileaks and free speech in the Western Murdochracies and Lobbyocracies i.e. Boycott Murdoch Media: https://sites.google.com/site/boycottmurdochmedia/ .

The silencing of Wikileaks is just the tip of the iceberg. Lying by omission and commission is de rigeur for the Neocon American and Zionist Imperialast (NAZI)-beholden Mainstream media (see "Mainstream media lying": https://sites.google.com/site/mainstreammedialying/ and "Mainstream media censorship": https://sites.google.com/site/mainstreammediacensorship/ .

Mon, 2011-10-24 18:15 — larkforsure (not verified)

[ SOS ] Complaint about Human Rights Violations by IBM China on Centennial

Please Google:

IBM detained mother of ex-employee on the day of centennial
or
How Much IBM Can Get Away with is the Responsibility of the Media
or
Tragedy of Labor Rights Repression in IBM China

Mon, 2011-10-24 19:02 — gerry (not verified)

Poor Julian Assange - and even sadder the idiots who saw him and his wretched organisation as some kind of freedom fighters...suckers!

Sun, 2011-10-30 03:06 — Pekay

The comments by Capt Sensible,Flashbuck and Gerry -no indication of their stand on free speech or their concerns about the matter. Simple purile name calling is the province of those who can't put forward an argument or sustain an argument.Why this fear of information, yet no concern about the claptrap churned out by the dailies. I would see this as an opportunity to balance my perspectives.
Good work Julian, and keep the leaks comiung so that the heroes of the three geezers mentioned in my opening paragraph are demystified and exposed for the immoral criminals they really - people like Murdoch, Bush, Blair and those of similar ilk.

Mon, 2011-10-24 20:59 — Flashbuck (not verified)

Funny how The NS bangs the drum for Wikileaks but then gets all hypocritically hysterical over Murdoch.

Tue, 2011-10-25 05:23 — Captain Sensible (not verified)

Very good Mr Free Willy, but why does he need a multi million income to put out a website? Does he need an op on his leaking prostrate or does he intend to hire women who can keep their mouths shut and legs open next time?